Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the level of need for the UK to increase its access to specialist firefighting aircraft for tackling large-scale wildfires.

Fire and rescue services have been responding to an exceptionally challenging period of wildfire activity, with multiple significant incidents being managed simultaneously across England and Wales.

Fire and rescue services, working through Local Resilience Forums, are responsible for planning and responding locally. Where aircraft are needed, that is usually arranged locally with commercial providers. We have made emergency funding available to help services in England deploy aerial firefighting support where needed.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has recently announced a £97 million investment to upgrade National Resilience assets and equipment. Part of this funding includes a pilot for a national wildfire response capability with specialist firefighters, equipment and training, with teams positioned across England to support Fire and Rescue Services during major incidents. Ministers are convening a summit in the autumn to consider further measures to strengthen capabilities in which aerial capabilities will be discussed.